Scottish Whisky

Benromach Organic Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Benromach Organic
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$60 – $75
Website
Benromach Organic

What the Distillery Says

A WORLD FIRST when launched, even the wood we use for maturing our beautifully balanced organic single malt whisky is specially selected to nurture it to PERFECTION.

Tasting Notes
Pour yourself a dram of this beautiful Speysider, lift it to the light and notice the golden brown colour, imparted by our virgin oak casks. Even the wood we use for maturing the spirit is an intrinsic part of producing this beautifully balanced Organic Single Malt Whisky… a world-first when it was launched. With that in mind, enjoy the sumptuous AROMA WITHOUT WATER. It’s delightfully sweet and malty at first, and after a few inhalations you may detect vanilla, toffee and banana influences coming through. Enjoy the TASTE WITHOUT WATER… roll it around your mouth and savour the creamy pepper and sweet fruit flavours, particularly ripe bananas. Add a trickle of water to release the whisky and take in the AROMA WITH WATER… fresh and malty with darker, delicious hints of coffee and cocoa. You may smell some vanilla notes, and a touch of the fruit bowl coming through once again – this time with citrus fruits, especially lemons. Now for the TASTE WITH WATER… the smooth and mellow body has an exotic carnival feel with some gorgeous chilli spice and tropical fruit flavours, balanced with creaminess and a dark chocolate edge: a mouth-watering balance with a smooth and long finish. Our whisky is certified Organic from start to finish, meeting rigorous UK Soil Association standards for growing the ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling. Unique on launch in 2006, it is still very rare today.

Matured in virgin oak casks

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla bean, subtle malty/floral notes, oak, a hint of leather; some water brings out bananas and pears.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel that sharpens, cereal sweetness with brown sugar that turns into herbal spices in the back with banana pudding; some water tamps the sharpness and introduces a hint of cocoa.
Finish:  On the shorter side, drying with vanilla and grain notes.
Comments:  The virgin oak influence is evident, with more vanilla and grain notes than the 10 year old.  Definitely more sharp and a bit more intense.  I didn’t get the earthy notes or peat that the 10 yr old has.  A bit of water brings out some fruit notes on the nose and a bit on the palate.  A very pleasant dram, but if given the choice between this and the 10 yr, I’d go with the 10 yr.

Rating: Stands Out

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Benromach 10 Yrs Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Benromach 10 Yrs Old
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$50 – $60
Website

What the Distillery Says

Grain by grain, drop by drop, we handcraft our GORGEOUS Speyside single malt to TASTE the way whisky should from our beautiful part of Scotland.
Tasting Notes
Pour yourself a dram of Benromach – not too wee and not too big. Swirl the golden liquid around your glass and notice the AROMA WITHOUT WATER. In other words, take a sniff. Indeed, indulging in several little inhalations is the best way to pick up all the different notes… rich sherry with fruit & nut chocolate, delicate spice, green apples, malty biscuit and a touch of light peat smoke. Now sip your dram, roll the whisky around your mouth and enjoy the TASTE WITHOUT WATER… juicy raspberries and brambles, sherry, creamy malt and a light peat. Next, take in the AROMA WITH WATER… it’s a wee bit nutty with a touch of charred oak and malt, and there’s also some fancy pineapple and kiwi. Add a drop or two of water to release the full TASTE WITH WATER. Savour the succulent mouth coating and taste the toasted malt, delicate peat smoke and lingering sweet sherry… our gorgeous classic Benromach Speyside style of single malt whisky.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel with poached pears, sandalwood, malt, fresh pecans, a touch of plums, hint of peat and leather.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, barley sweetness with fruit notes that evolve into a smokey, herbal but soft spiciness.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with an earthy smokiness and hint of peat.
Comments:  This is a very nice 10 year old single malt.  Well balanced, approachable, incredibly drinkable with a lot of complexity for a 10 year old.  Bit of water opens it up nicely with some floral notes on the nose and more fruit on the palate.  If you’re a fan of Speyside single malts, I’d consider this a ‘Must Try’.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Girvan 24 Yr Single Grain Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Single Grain / ,

Girvan 24 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Whisky
Sovereign K&L Exclusive Single Cask

50.3% ABV
$100
Website
Girvan 24 Yr Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky

What the Reseller Says

Our grain whiskies from the Sovereign label have been some of the most beloved in our store’s history, which is why we’re back with another fabulous Girvan; the William Grant Lowland distillery located in the South Ayrshire (where Ladyburn distillery was once located). Remember that grain whiskies are not single malts, but rather column-distilled whiskies usually made from corn (like Bourbon). The Girvan 24 year is full of soft vanilla right off the bat, almost like an older version of the Nikka Coffey expression, but with more pop due to the higher proof. The vanilla turns into caramel on the mid-palate and it finishes with more soft sweetness before the alcohol comes roaring in. With grain prices as low as they are, expect more outstanding values like this in the near future.

From the bottle:
Distilled 1990, Bottled September 2014
A robust, sweet nose is slightly peppery with toffee apples.
Buttery on the palate with vanilla and chocolate,
followed by a long, nutty finish
Cask Ref: HL10574

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet, subtle honey with musty oak, hints of vanilla and baked apples.
Palate:  Sweet start with a viscous, buttery mouthfeel, vanilla and almonds before pepper spice.
Finish:  Long, nutty and peppery, drying as it goes.
Comments:  Full disclosure – single grain isn’t my favorite category of whisky. There isn’t anything objectionable about this dram, but also nothing really stood out for me compared to other similarly aged single grain Scotch whiskies. For my palate, single grain is a very gentle, subtle, nuanced pour – typically on the sweet side with a buttery mouthfeel. Very drinkable, and while there’s pepper spice it is somehow softer than you might expect (not a ‘sharp bite’). Hard to find a 20+ yr old anything in this price range.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend Single Marrying Cask (2018)

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend Single Marrying Cask

Selected by The Whiskey Library DC, Scotch Trooper &
Dekalb Bottle House, Cask No 5
49% ABV
$50
Website
Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend Single Marrying Cask

What the Blender Says

(Referencing the bottle details):
French Oak Barrel
Married 1/24/2017
Bottled 7/16/2018 (married 18 mos)
192 bottles
The Great King Street range from Compass Box is dedicated to creating contemporary Scotch Whiskies in the full-flavoured style of the great 19th Century blending houses. In creating these blends, we drew upon archive recipes from the golden age of whiskymaking then updated them with our own 21st Century custom cask maturation techniques. The result is a style of Blended Scotch unlike anything else available today.
Bold, Peaty, Sherried

What Gary Says

Nose: Thick peaty goodness, raisins, roasted marshmallows, subtle sea air with baking spices, wisps of barbecue sauce and rubber bands.
Palate: Thick and oily mouthfeel, peat with medicinal notes and dark fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, a hint of curry spice.
Finish: Moderately long, oily with lingering peat and subtle spice.
Comments: Third of these ‘single marrying casks’ I’ve bought, and only regret is not grabbing multiples. While I would buy any of them again given the chance at retail, this is my favorite. Just a lovely, intense, robust whisky with spice notes from the french oak. Compared to the standard Great King Street lineup, the additional proof points and marrying casks make more of a difference than you might suspect.

Rating: Must Buy

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Compass Box Great King Street Artist’s Blend Single Marrying Cask (2018)

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Great King Street Artist’s Blend Single Marrying Cask

Dekalb Bottle House Exclusive, Cask No 27
49% ABV
$50
Website
Compass Box Great King Street Artists Blend Single Marrying Cask

What the Blender Says

(Referencing the bottle details):
American Oak Hogshead
Married 1/18/2017
Bottled 7/16/2018 (married 18 mos)
162 bottles
The Great King Street range from Compass Box is dedicated to creating contemporary Scotch Whiskies in the full-flavoured style of the great 19th Century blending houses. In creating these blends, we drew upon archive recipes from the golden age of whiskymaking then updated them with our own 21st Century custom cask maturation techniques. The result is a style of Blended Scotch unlike anything else available today.
Rich, Round & Fruity

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, baked apple chips, vanilla, biscuity, rickhouse oak, bits of apple cider spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg).
Palate: Rounded, slightly waxy mouthfeel with apples, pears, vanilla, honey, allspice, nutmeg, a hint of cinnamon give way to freshly cracked pepper.
Finish: Moderately long, damp with building pepper spice and over-ripe pears.
Comments: This is the 2nd Compass Box Great King Street Marrying Cask I’ve bought, and they’ve all punched well above their weight for the money. I had an opportunity to try this at the launch party, and immediately bought one. Unlike private barrels, these aren’t everywhere you look – but I wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on one.

Rating: Must Buy

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